From a black cat crossing the road and a hat on the bed to an umbrella opened
indoors or three people clinking glasses, Volykhine’s paintings focus on familiar
signs of good and bad luck. The works explore how these quirky behaviours are
often our way of coping with stress and uncertainty.
While cultural folklore often paints superstitious behaviour as harmless
storytelling, Volykhine’s new collection probes beneath the surface, asking
whether these irrational compulsions reveal something fundamental about
human vulnerability and mental health.
“My own self-identification as a highly superstitious person brought me to a
curiosity about what makes some people superstitious and not others,” says
Volykhine. “Superstition functions as a means of reducing the stressful, anxiety-
provoking state of having a lack of control over our environment. We cling to
false associations in a desperate attempt to gain an illusion of control.”
Volykhine builds his art using a mix of oil paint and paper collage directly on the
canvas. He layers paper, print, and drawing pieces under thick paint, partially
hiding and revealing shapes and text underneath. Just like the habits we build to
hide our worries, his layered technique adds depth and story to every piece,
giving viewers plenty to discover.
Exhibition Details & Gallery Contact
• Exhibition: Very Superstitious – Lucky 13 New Works by Ilya Volykhine
• Dates: 17 September ‒ 8 October
• Venue: Exhibitions Gallery of Fine Art, 32 Brandon Street, Wellington
• Gallery Director: Ron Epskamp
• Phone: 04 499 6356 | 021 0622072
• Email: ron@exhibitionsgallery.co.nz
• Website: www.exhibitionsgallery.co.nz
• Hours: Monday ‒ Friday 10:30am ‒ 4:30pm | Saturday 11:30am ‒ 3:30pm
Media Release 4 September 2026.